A weekend of sheep and fiber arts on tap at Wayne Co. Fairgrounds

WOOSTER, Ohio — Color and texture can take an ordinary fiber project to the next level by adding a creative stitching technique, special yarn, or fiber, dyed specifically for the project.

The 2012 Great Lakes Fiber Show is offering workshops on dying, spinning and knitting techniques to move your projects from ordinary to extraordinary.

This year, the show will be held May 26 and 27 at the Wayne County Fairgrounds, Wooster, Ohio, in conjunction with the Great Lakes Sheep Show and Sale and the Great Lakes Angora Goat Show.

The deadline for registration is April 30.

The fiber show will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Now in its 17th year, the fiber show has attracted interest from more than 80 vendors, selling raw and processed fiber from sheep, alpacas, llamas, angora goats, angora rabbits, and buffalo.

Several fiber processors will be on hand to take your fiber back to the mills to be processed into batting, roving or yarn for your projects. Vendors will also have finished items for sale as well as sheep related art and pottery.

The fiber show has grown from one building to four buildings as well as outside exhibit area featuring alpacas, sheep, and rabbits.

Workshops

A highlight of the fiber show is the workshops and fun activities during the two-day event. According to Linda Reichert, coordinator for the fiber show, the pre-registration is required for the workshops, but the fun activities are free and open to people of all ages.

The workshops will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Sunday workshops include Twined Woven Placemat ($30); Spinning for Lace ($30); Spinning Knot and Slub Yarn ($30); The Physics of Color (one session in the morning and one in the afternoon) ($30); Spinning for Color ($30); Adjusting and Adapting Patterns ($30); and Beginning Lace Knitting ($30).

Youth activities

There will also be a series of free activities available on both days in the Industrial Building. On Saturday, activities include Drop Spindle (10 a.m.-noon), Stitch Markers (1 p.m.-3 p.m.) and Solar Dyeing (3 p.m.-5 p.m.) Sunday activities include Braided Beaded Bracelets (10 a.m.-noon), Woven Roving (10 a.m.-noon) and Drop Spindle (1 p.m.-4 p.m.).

Reichert said that although these activities are planned with younger fiber artists in mind, they are open to adults as well.

Spinners may also enter their fiber in the skein competition. There will be classes for both experienced and novice spinners. There will be classes for fine, medium and bulking single yarn, fine medium and bulky plied yarn, spinners choice of fiber and ply, novice spinners, and novelty yarn in boucle, knot, spiral, slub, cable and spinner’s choice.

Wool show

The Great Lakes Fiber Show also features a Wool Fleece Show and Sale, specifically for quality hand spinning fleeces. The show features a division for white fleeces and a division for natural colored fleeces. Both divisions will have classes for fine, medium, coarse and double coated fleece.

New this year are classes for Border Leicester fleeces from rams and ewes.

Entries for the fleece show and sale may be made to Linda Reichert, 2474 North Firestone Road, Wooster, OH 44691.

For information about the sheep show, contact The Banner Sheep Magazine, 309-785-5058. To register for a workshop or if you would like more information on the fiber show, go to the website: www.greatlakesfibershow.com or contact Reichert, 330-264-9665.

Admission to the Great Lakes Sheep and Wool Show and Sale is free. Food, including roast lamb sandwiches, will be available on the fairgrounds.

Freelance writer Susan Mykrantz has been writing for Farm and Dairy since 1989. She is a graduate of the ag college at Ohio State University and also serves as editor of the "Ohio Jersey News." She lives in Wayne County.